


A Taste Of Sweetness

by PaleAutumn



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Chocolate, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Bonding, Fluff, He just needs love, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insecurity, Medicinal Drug Use, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, for thE BIRTHDAY BOY AND MY LOVE ICHI, he deserves the world okay it's fine, it's cute i swear don't worry about the tags, not intentional abuse but hints of it are there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaleAutumn/pseuds/PaleAutumn
Summary: Ichigo depended on two lifelines: his medication and physical rehabilitation routine.  Birthday fic.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: Psychological Terror





	A Taste Of Sweetness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [o_WinterQueen_o](https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_WinterQueen_o/gifts).



> Happy birthday to the most precious piece of sunshine, Ichigo Kurosaki! I would die for him truly. I do want to say that I have been working on improving my writing and I hope that shows in this piece <3 Especially for someone as important as Ichigo. I'm working on a large multi-chapter fic for a Big Bang, so enjoy this update while it lasts!

Ichigo depended on two lifelines: his medication and physical rehabilitation routine. When he woke up, his eyes didn’t turn toward the sunshine managing to break through the curtains. He stared at his room’s ceiling. It was a light shade of grey, a color not far from the tiled ceiling of the nearby hospital. All it was missing was the lines sectioning off the surface into squares. Scanning over the foreign, smooth surface, Ichigo created the lines in his head like an image superimposed onto another. 

Fingers clutched the blanket laid over him and yanked it from his body. With a jerk, he slammed his palms into the comfortable mattress and tried to get his upper half off the embrace of his bed. Once he did it, he was panting. His chest and arms quaked with every heavy breath he forced out. His lungs couldn’t hold enough air for strenuous movements like that anymore. Yearning to push himself further, Ichigo tried to yank his leg over the edge to get it on the floor. He longed to get up by himself. 

Despite his best efforts, his limbs wouldn’t move. He moved like a machine whose gears were jammed. They grinded against one another, straining to rotate with their chipped edges catching and slipping. Though he could control his arms, he had no power in them. Ichigo grabbed one of his legs and exerted as much force as he could muster to lift it up. If he could just do this one thing, he could stand. Instead, his nails clawed at his thigh and knee. They slumped down. 

“Ichigo.” 

He stiffened. His shoulder pulled back and his spine straightened out into formal posture. It was only when his mind switched on that he relaxed. Turning toward Ogihci, who called out his name, he awaited his next sentence.

“Don’t move too much. You’re going to break yourself again.” His hollow had taken in Ichigo’s struggle. He was used to saying these words to him now, but they were only a covering. His wielder was frail. Ogihci frowned, locking away the sharpened blade being forged from his thoughts at the tip of his tongue.  _ He’s inadequate so early in the morning.  _ He had cut him down with similar weapons before. He had made him bleed. But he couldn’t risk cutting down the lifelines that held Ichigo up. They were the two things Shiro relied on to bring Ichigo’s strength back. “Just wait until I come back.” 

Disappointment rained down on the bedridden teen. It soaked into him until he lost the determined gleam in his expression. It drew out all the imperfections built into him. Bone jutted out from his thin layer of skin. Ichigo could make out the cracks and spaces between the pieces. Though they functioned together, the separation grew too large for him to work. This was his own body. It was his fault he couldn’t do anything about it. “I’m sorry … I’ll wait.” Ichigo turned toward the window, which was still shut away behind the curtains. Ogihci got up from where he sat on the floor. He gave Ichigo another look before his eyes flicked down to his hand opening the door out. The light from the hallway briefly streamed in. 

Voices came from downstairs. There was a shrill cry of pain and some softer reprimanding noises. Ogihci climbed down the stairs and into the kitchen area where Karin, Yuzu, and Isshin were all gathered. Yuzu was by the stove, stirring a glass bowl over a low boiling pot of water. The sweet richness of the warm dark chocolate blanketed the room and combined with the aroma of the fresh strawberries lying on a plate beside her. Karin and Isshin, who had a red mark on his forehead, sat by the dining table. Both of them were immersed in their own things. 

“Karin, you didn’t have to hit him so hard, you know!” Yuzu took the bowl off the heat and added the rest of the chopped up chocolate into it. She began stirring again until it was smooth. 

“Huh? Didn’t you tell me that this part was hard? Goat Face shouldn’t be interfering.” Karin swung her arm over the chair, observing her sister. “It’s a shame Ichi-nii can’t have cake. But chocolate strawberries was a good idea.” 

“It may still be a little too sweet, but fruits are the best option for him. Even if that kid indulges in his chocolate obsession. Youngsters these days have to eat healthier to grow up and be as handsome as --”

“Shut up, Goat Face.” Karin turned back around to sit normally, but froze in her tracks. Her head shot up to the new person who entered the room. With a sharp and narrowed stare, she clicked her tongue. After a few seconds, she had no desire to continue looking at the monster. She went back to scrolling through her phone. “I’m not dealing with ghosts at this hour, especially not today.” 

Isshin brought his attention to Ogihci, exhaling a long breath. A headache crawled into his temples and he rubbed at them. Yuzu picked up on the change in atmosphere, but decided not to comment or deviate from her task. Light-hearted banter fell into a flatline. Ogihci wasn’t paying any mind to it, though. It was simply the routine. Instead, the calendar for July put up on the wall drew his attention in. Circled in red marker was the number 15. Around it were small doodles of hearts, strawberries, and stars in various different colors. Rolling his eyes, he walked to the table and stood in front of Isshin. 

“I’m just here for that medicine. The one he so desperately needs,” he said, looking down at the gathered family members. 

“The one you made him need, you mean.” Isshin rose up, scraping the chair against the wooden floorboards. He pulled open the cabinets and fished out the weekly pill organizer Ichigo used. He shoved it into the hollow’s hands. “If I find out you’re not giving these to him --” 

“What would I fucking gain from that stupid move?” 

“What the hell did you gain from breaking his body until he couldn’t function and he finally shut down?” 

“That wasn’t the intent, shinigami,” Ogihci said, fingers twitching at his side. He wanted to sink his knuckles into Isshin’s face. A part of him wanted to see him try saying those words with blood running through his teeth. Flashes of the various charts and readings that Ichigo had invaded his head. Multiple organ failure, muscle atrophy, nutritional deficiency. He hated the incessant beeping of the monitors and the tubes running from his skin to the fluids that prevented him from reaching the numbers that would signal his death. 

“Either way, you put him in that state.” Isshin gave a cold stare. A bitter tang filled his mouth, overwhelming his mind until it was painful. It felt like a constant swig of beer, prickling the surface of his tongue. A statement spilled out of him. “And somehow, you’ve conditioned him to only let you in on his suffering.” 

Ogihci seized the medication. His jaw grinded together, smashing the rebuttal back in his throat. Wooden steps creaked underneath his stomping when he made his way back up to Ichigo’s room. From the noise, the weakened shinigami turned his head toward the source from the bed. When the door ripped open, his entire body jumped. Next came gratefulness at the sight of his pills in Ogihci’s hands. Anxiety never left him alone, though. Especially not when his hollow prowled toward him with a tight scowl on his face. 

He was handed his morning medication organizer. In a flash, Ichigo’s arm emerged from the blanket. The pills and the water bottle near his bed were taken. Maneuvering his gaze away, he turned toward the wall so his back faced Ogihci. He used his body to cover up the sight of him popping open the container. Nothing could muffle the pills moving around and hitting against each other and the walls. Nothing could muffle them being swallowed with a gulp of water. Snapping the lid back on, he turned back to his original position. The pill organizer was discarded underneath the pillow. Ichigo didn’t think Ogihci wanted to see it any longer than he had to. 

“Just … please give me a few more minutes. I swear I’ll start the routine soon,” he muttered. His voice wasn’t able to go much louder around his hollow. Every thought, suggestion, and protest slipped away. There weren’t many protests in him anymore though. He wanted to live again and if that meant taking his body past its limits like Ogihci wanted … 

He’d do it in a heartbeat. 

Once the energy to retry came back to him, Ichigo took a deep breath and used his hands to scoot toward the edge. His legs were still frail, but he could move them easier than before. Twitching movements were performed until the bottom of his feet brushed the floor. With his palms pressed against the mattress, he gradually pushed his weight onto his legs. Both of them trembled. 

One by one, Ichigo did his daily exercises. Most of his prescribed ones only required him to lean against the wall to do simple push-ups and leg swings, however, he always took it further. Today, he ended up trying to do basic push-ups and planks. Sweat poured down and formed puddles all over his floor. Every muscle in his body spasmed as if shocks were travelling throughout him, but Ichigo brought his chest down to the floor and up again. 

Ogihci watched as he kept pushing himself further and further. It only took a few minutes for a grin to form. 

_ He’s getting better,  _ he thought, observing the way Ichigo’s face shifted when trying to use his arms to their fullest. While on the topic, he itched for another spar, even if he would have to hold back a little. 

A notification came up on Ichigo’s phone. Ichigo didn’t react at all while Ogihci turned toward it. He leaned over the screen, reading the message. It was from one of his younger sisters, who were just downstairs. 

[SMS: Yuzu] Ichi-nii! We have some food ready for you once you come down! 

Narrowing his eyes, he turned back toward the struggling teen. If he stopped, wouldn’t it all be a waste? Determined to ignore the call, he sat on the desk chair, continuing to monitor Ichigo’s progress. When the teen collapsed, he tilted his head. Instead of stopping for the day, though he was supposed to stop a while ago, he flipped over on his back to do leg stretches. 

Ogihci hummed. While waiting, flashes of what he saw downstairs overtook his mind. There was a large red marker circling around the number 15 on the calendar. Small hearts and cartoon drawings of strawberries encapsulated the importance. He could picture his two sisters crowding around the date with packs of drying highlighters in hand. One by one, they tested them on extra slips of paper until they found the few that worked. And one by one, they leaned in close to make their drawings perfect. 

And as far as he knew, the cook of the family was still folding and stirring chocolate in a bowl with platters of other toppings and decorations for the strawberries. The hollow rolled his eyes. It would be stupid to let Ichigo go. But this day was important to him, wasn’t it? He needed to give him more breaks after all or else he’d end up trapped on the hospital bed again. 

“Ichigo.” 

Stopping what he was doing, Ichigo acknowledged him immediately. Now he was unsure if the shaking was him overexertion or the fear Ogihci instilled in him. He had been too focused on getting his body back in shape to work on getting rid of the after effects of his previous conditioning and mind control. 

“Did I do something wrong? I’m really trying my best here, Shiro, you know I am.”

“Tch, I know. That’s why I’m annoyed. You got a message from your sister.”

Ichigo closed his hand into a fist, biting into his lower lip. “Is … Is she asking about me? I’m not -- I don’t want them to see me like this.”

“They made food for you.” 

“Huh? Why would Yuzu …” 

“Go down there yourself.” 

It was a nice thought. Ichigo couldn’t stop his heart from wanting to. What kind of brother would he be if he didn’t want to see his own little sisters? He showed a tight smile.  _ It had to be a test.  _ Ogihci didn’t have any malicious intentions, but he definitely knew him better than that. He wouldn’t want him to go down there. 

“I’ll apologize to her later, but I can’t risk it right now. What would they think if they saw me in this condition?” Ichigo felt his throat constrict, like there was something he couldn’t quite swallow. “I want to get stronger too. We can agree now.” 

“Ichigo, just get down there,” Ogihci forced out, “That’s an order.” 

That phrase alone made Ichigo tense up. What was going on with his zanpakuto? Nodding his head, he used the bed frame as leverage to pull himself up. He was dizzy and almost fell flat on the floor again. Ogihci groaned, getting up and reaching for the water bottle and threw it over. Ichigo fumbled with the cap for a bit before managing to take a drink. 

None of them moved for some minutes while the teen regained his composure and forced his muscles to stop convulsing. The wall was used as leverage when he started to make it way to the door. Shaky fingers clutched the stair rail next. 

The smell of chocolate made him stop in his tracks. He swallowed the saliva gathering in his mouth, wondering what the occasion was. What was the date today? When he made it to the first floor, he was greeted by widened eyes from Isshin and his sisters alike. The next thing he knew, Isshin was by his side and helped him walk over to the table. They passed by the calendar. Straining his neck, he took a peek at it and caught sight of the color red. 15. It was July 15th. 

“Happy birthday!” All three of them shouted when he sat down. 

Ichigo grimaced at the loud noise. He smiled at his family, feeling his shoulders lower and his muscles loosen. A plate was presented to him. 

“It’s a shame we couldn’t make you a chocolate cake, but … This was just as fun!” Yuzu beamed, pushing the platter of chocolate strawberries toward her brother. “I even added some caramel drizzle and a few peanuts! I made a lot of different ones for us to share though.” 

She wasn’t exaggerating. There were more than three dozen strawberries on the plate, each with a different color and topping. Peanuts, caramel, coconut, sprinkles, flowers made of frosting, and more combinations of those. Karin, Yuzu, and his father all sat by him, ready to taste them. Ichigo let out a laugh and grinned at Yuzu. 

He hadn’t laughed in so long, he wasn’t even sure if it sounded right anymore. But he didn’t care. 

“I love them. But you know a simple breakfast would have done it too.” 

“Hey, she just wanted to try a little harder, you knucklehead. You should be digging in already, she’s been up forever.” Karin used one finger to push it even closer until the plate touched her brother’s chest. 

“Yeah, yeah.” He took one out of the arrangement. The others followed suit. “Happy birthday to me. Cheers, then.” They all smiled, bumping their strawberries together before taking a large bite. 


End file.
